Antwerp Airport ends 2021 with excellent results for business/private aviation and hopeful passenger figures. Last year, the airport welcomed 147,000 passengers. The number of business flights even exceeds the 2019 results as of this summer.

Passenger figures

Our airport was -once again- hit hard in the first months of 2021. Due to the rising covid-19 figures and a new lockdown, non-essential travel was prohibited until 19 April. As a result, the first TUI fly flights to five Spanish destinations departed at the end of April. This was clearly reflected in the figures. In the first half of the year, we welcomed 39,000 passengers.

As of July, more flights were scheduled and TUI fly flew again to 7 of their 10 destinations from Antwerp. “This was also the beginning of a nice recovery. In July, August and September, we welcomed 61,000 passengers. 114% more compared to the summer of 2020”, says CEO Eric Dumas.

The recovery also continued after the summer. In November, we had a successful restart of flights to Nador and Tangier, but these had to be stopped again after a few weeks due to the travel restrictions imposed by Morocco. 

On an annual basis, the airport closes with just under 147,000 passengers. “A hopeful result”, concludes CEO Eric Dumas. “When we look at the second half of 2021, we received 38% fewer passengers than in 2019, before the start of the covid-19 pandemic. If the recovery continues like this and also the flights to Innsbruck, Nador and Tangier start up again, we can expect a good result in 2022. We continue to work hard, and look optimistically towards 2022.”

In 2022, TUI fly will again fly to all 10 destinations from Antwerp. In addition, ASL Fly Executive will also fly to Innsbruck twice a week between 15 January and the end of March. 

97% on time performance

The airport can also boast excellent punctuality figures this year. This year, no less than 97% of all flights departed on time. “Travelling via a regional airport has only advantages. Not only do you travel relaxed and in a safe environment, but your flight almost always departs on time,” says CEO Eric Dumas. 

Business flights

The business segment has recovered very well this year. In June, business flights again reached the level of 2019. From the summer holidays onwards, the figures were even 6% higher on average than in 2019. This again indicates how strongly business flights are anchored at the airport.